Everything’s Not Coming Up Roses for The Bachelor’s Juan Pablo Galavis

When Juan Pablo Galavis was asked whether or not there should be a gay or bisexual edition of The Bachelor, he didn’t even hesitate before saying “No.” Galavis, who is the current Bachelor on ABC’s hit reality series, sparked serious controversy after answering a couple of interview questions in a really candid, really homophobic way recently. The backlash that Galavis has received since the interview broke has been constant; many are dumbfounded as to how the “star” of one of the most notoriously racy reality television shows thinks that a gay or bisexual Bachelor would be too lascivious for TV.

Juan Pablo Galavis shocked audiences with his thoughts on whether there should be an LGBT version of “The Bachelor”Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

Noah Michelson and Caitlyn Becker discussed the incident and its social implications on HuffPost Live, paying particular attention to the language that Galavis uses in both his original interview and in his “apology.” In entertainment and media, there is a growing trend in homophobic public figures saying things like, “I respect LGBT people, but,” or even worse, “I have a gay friend, so….” So what? So you get to say any offensive, bigoted thing you like because you have a token gay acquaintance?

As The Huffington Post points out, “Galavis is certainly not the first celebrity to make offensive comments about the gay community.” Earlier this year, Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame publicly called homosexuality a “sin,” and “illogical” – comments that sparked huge controversy, especially when Duck Dynasty’ network, A&E, continued to support the show and its cast. In a similar instance, Sherri Shepherd of The View employed a homophobic contradiction by telling Alicia Menendez that she may not agree with gay people’s lifestyles, BUT that she still loves them anyway.

When Galavis said, “I respect them, but honestly I don’t think it’s a good example for kids to watch that on TV,” he managed to contradict himself and insult the entire LGBT community in a single sentence. He goes on though, to call gay people “more pervert in a sense [than straight people],” another reason why he alleges they shouldn’t be on television. How ironic for the star of a show that focuses on sex and dating to act like the authority on what wholesome television is supposed to look like.

Maybe he was caught off-guard. Maybe, as Galavis claims, his words were taken out of context. Regardless, it was truly saddening to hear such hateful words uttered from someone who gets a significant amount of screen time each week.

What do you think about Galavis’s remarks about the possibility of their being a gay edition of The Bachelor?